Inspection Team Saves Truck Driver

A truck driver who had just passed a Maryland State Police driver inspection received some unexpected lifesaving services from members of the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division yesterday when he had an apparent heart attack on the weigh station parking lot in Garrett County. Shortly after 9:30 a.m. yesterday, a man ran into the Maryland State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division weigh and inspection facility on I-68 in Finzel and reported someone was lying in the parking lot. Master Trooper Keith Stakem, Commercial Vehicle Safety Inspectors Keith Comer and Clint Snyder, along with Cadet Lawrence Cosgrove, responded immediately and found a 57-year-old Missouri man who was not breathing and had no detectable pulse.

Master Trooper Stakem and CVSI Comer used the facility’s automated external defibrillator and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The man resumed breathing on his own as members of the Frostburg Area Ambulance and Eastern Garrett Fire Department arrived. The man was transported to the Western Maryland Regional Medical Center in Cumberland.

Before walking out to the parking lot, the truck driver had been meeting for about 15 minutes with Master Trooper Stakem and Cadet Cosgrove as they conducted a North American Standard Commercial Vehicle Level III inspection. This is a standard inspection for a commercial vehicle driver that examines their logbook, license, and other related issues to ensure the driver’s adherence to state and federal regulations. Troopers said the driver appeared fine physically as he left the safety inspection, which he passed with no violations.

Although inspectors check a driver’s commercial driver’s license medical card, a medical checkup is out of their area of expertise. Fortunately for this driver, they had expertise in emergency medical care and were quick to respond. Regardless of their assignment, members of the Maryland State Police are proud of their ability to be ‘ever vigilant – always prepared.’